Second Chances
by Oracle Pisces
Summary: It’s funny what a falling books sets into motion. Boy really old boy meets girl, boy acts like an idiot and loses girl...boy’s wellmeaning friend steps in...


Disclaimer: "Highlander" the television series is the property of Davis-Panzer and Rysher Entertainment. This story was written as a not for profit derivative fiction based upon the popular television series. The story's author gives much praise and thanks to the show creators, writers, and actors for their fantastic work their brilliance.

Adam Pierson, former historian the Watcher's council, and oldest living Immortal was bored. He sat in the living room of his house in Paris. MacLeod was flying in that night to conduct business with some boring antique dealer. He had reopened Noël and MacLeod antiques after selling the dojo.

It had been almost a year since he saw his friend. MacLeod had just disappeared up until a few months ago. Even Dawson didn't know where he was…not that Methos wanted to find him or cared all that much. Well, that was not entirely true…he was mildly concerned. It just was like the Highlander to walk out on his life as he did.

"He probably went off saving the world, or rescuing a little kitten from a tree." Methos muttered and sipped from his beer.

Methos was going to go stark raving mad with boredom if he didn't get out of the house. He had been feeling extremely restless lately, it was as if he were expecting something, but whatever it was, it had not happened.

"You're just bored," He got off the couch and went to the foyer to grab his coat, and then looked in the mirror there, "You're pathetic, you know that." He said to his reflection.

He walked around the city as he had done so many times in the past. There was almost nothing as lovely as Paris in spring. He found himself in front of an old stomping ground…the sign on the shop front read "Shakespeare & Co.

Dawson had told him that former Watcher named Phillip Terrell had taken over the shop after Don Salzer had been murdered. Terrell was one of the few that did not look on Methos as a pariah or Judas. He and the former Watcher occasionally had drinks together and talked over old times…mainly Methos's old times.

Methos opened the door, and the shop bell tinkled cheerily overhead. An old man in his mid-70s looked up from a stack of books and smiled warmly at his friend.

"Adam! It's good to see you." He moved away from the books to greet Methos.

"Its good to see you too, Phil. What's new?" Adam shook Phillips hand and looked around at the shop.

"Nothing much. I am trying to find the inspiration to take an inventory of the shop. I've decided to totally reorganize the bookstore…make it more user friendly. Can I help you with something?" Phillip looked past him to a new customer that arrived in the shop.

"I thought I look around for old time's sake, Phil." Methos said and began to browse. He wasn't going to find anything new. He must have been in the shop more times than he could remember.

As he turned to go down one of the rows, a glint of sunlight lit upon something on a top shelf. He got closer and saw that it was a compact disc wedged very tightly between some books. He eased the book out, causing the books on the opposite side to loosen and clatter to the floor.

Methos heard a yelp too. The falling books managed to catch someone on the other side. He looked around to see a blond young woman in her late-twenties sitting on the floor with the fallen books around her.

"Are you ok?" Methos moved a book off her head, and then noticed a little cut on her hairline from the falling books must have done that.

"I'm fine. I've done worse." The young woman rubbed at her head.

"Ah, Adam, I see you've met my young friend. Is she falling for you already?" Phillip appeared next to him as Methos offered his hand, and he winked at the young woman.

"Oh, that's funny, Phillip." She said and took the hand Methos offered.

"Don't mind him, he's British." He smiled. When she got to her feet, Phillip noticed the blood on her head, and sat her down in the nearest chair. Phillip disappeared into the back room to fetch some band-aids.

"I'm ok. All I need is to clean this and I'm good." The young woman said.

"You could have a concussion." Methos looked at the cut on her head. It was just a graze, but it doesn't take much sometimes.

"I've got to get going. Tell Phillip I'll be back tomorrow for my books. It was nice to almost meet you." She looked at her watch, got up off the floor, and went out the door.

"She left? It's a pity I did not have a chance to introduce you. She's a bright girl, for an American." Phillip returned dismayed that his friend had gone.

"American...interesting. Does your friend have a name, Phil?" Methos sat down and flipped through a book on the nearby table.

"Of course she has a name. Who doesn't have a name? What an absurd question." Phillip chuckled.

"Her name, old man." Methos put down the book. Phillip turned to look at his friend with an amused grin.

"Her name is Aurelia. Aurelia Maguire. She's an archaeologist, actually. Old man, indeed." Phillip went back out to the floor, when he heard the shop bell.

'That young girl is an archaeologist?' She looked more like a student than a dirt digger. She intrigues him immediately.

"Aurelia? That is a lovely name." Methos said and sat down at Phillip's computer behind the counter.

"She's entirely too young for you, my friend…especially for you." Phillip bagged the purchase for his customer; and he smiled as the person left the store.

"She said to tell you she'd be back for the books tomorrow." Methos typed away on the computer and pretended not to listen.

"If she'd only waited, I would have given them to her." Phillip went behind the counter and retrieved a parcel.

He put it on the counter and opened it up. There were three romance novels, a book on witchcraft, and two books on ancient Celtic and Greek mythology. Methos looked at the books and almost laughed.

"These are hers? I would think for an educated woman she would have better taste." Methos took in the title of the romance novels and grimaced.

"Leave her be, Adam. She's here on her own. It's a little bit of home, she said. She came over about a year from California. Now, is there something I can do for you?" Phillip tied the five books together with some twine and left the counter.

"I was hoping you'd join me for a drink. I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs until MacLeod is due in." Phillip just grinned and scratched his head.

"That sounds lovely, but unfortunately I'm waiting for a gentleman interested in a Poe first edition. He should be here in about half an hour." He told his friend, and Methos just let out a sigh.

Before Methos could respond, a group of English tourists came into the shop. Phillip greeted them, and then joined them to see if he could be of any assistance. Methos decided to leave.

"I'll see you later, Phil."

"Goodbye, Adam." He waved to him and then went back to the customers.

The group looked around the shop for a good twenty minutes, buying several books and other little souvenirs. He packaged their purchases, and they went on their way. When Phillip looked at the counter, he noticed the Aurelia's parcel was gone. He then went to the computer, and noticed Methos had pulled up Aurelia's address.

"You bugger."

Methos held onto the parcel of books as he walked down the streets, and finally ended up back at his house. He opened the door, set the books down on the bar, and grabbed himself a beer from the refrigerator. He sat down at the bar and pulled open the bow that secured the books.

"Interesting choices." He took hold of one of the romance novels, opened it up, and read. Some time later the phone rang, and he set down the book and answered it.

"Hello?" He said distractedly and picked up the book again. "Methos, where the hell are you?"

"Ah Highlander, how are you?" He continued to read, not paying attention to his friend talking on the end of the line.

"Hey! Methos!" Mac yelled into the phone.

"What?" Methos continued to read.

"I thought you were going to pick me up? I've been waiting an hour." Methos could tell that his friend was more than a little irritated.

"Oh. Yes, of course. I'll be there in a few moments." He hung up the phone as MacLeod was about to say something.

Methos pushed the phone away from him and finished the rest of the book. It was another half an hour before he left. He picked up the rest of the books and tied them up once again with the twine Phillip originally used.

Methos grabbed his keys and headed to pick up his friend. When he saw his friend at the airport, the Highlander sat at the bar sipping with a glass of single malt scotch. Methos took the stool next him and ordered a beer for himself.

"What are you doing?" MacLeod said after he downed the rest of his drink.

"I'm ordering a drink. I'm thirsty." Methos said as the bartender handed him his beer. Methos handed over a few Euros for his drink and MacLeod's drink.

"Wow, there's something you don't see everyday. Hurry it up, old man. I'm beat." MacLeod watched as Methos downed his beer in about two minutes.

The two of them journeyed out to Methos's car, where Mac put his duffel in the back seat, and saw the parcel of books. Those were the last kind of books that Mac thought he'd see Methos read.

"I'm starved. Let's stop off and eat, it'll be my treat." Mac offered and Methos chuckled.

"Sounds good. I have to make a stop first, and then we'll eat." Methos turned his car onto Rue Cler. Mac looked up at the building.

"This is where you're stopping?"

"Yes, MacLeod. I have a delivery to make for a friend. I won't be a moment."

Methos said and grabbed the books from the back seat, and got out of the car. Mac also got out of the car and began to follow Methos. Methos stopped him.

"Look, I promise I won't be gone long. Just wait here." Methos said and pointed to the car.

"Alright, just hurry it up." Mac went back to the car and leaned against it.

Aurelia's apartment was on the fifth floor, Methos noticed as he glanced at the piece of paper he got out of his pocket. He also noticed that there was no elevator, and trekked up the flights of stairs. He went to the door at the end of the hall and knocked.

There was some shuffling coming from inside, and a muffled voice calling out that the person inside would be there in a second. Aurelia answered the door in a red flowered silk robe with her blondish/brown hair falling out around her face from the clip that held it, and her bangs hid a band-aid. Her feet were bare.

"Hello. Special delivery." Methos held up the parcel and smiled.

"It's you. What are…oh, my books? Come in." She opened the door to admit him and he walked in.

The apartment nicely furnished, very tasteful was expensive. Not the sort of place he figured someone in her line of work could afford. Perhaps it belonged to a rich boyfriend, or worse…a husband. She closed the door and her hand flew to her hair.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." She hurried off to the bedroom, and appeared two minutes later with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She still had on her robe.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Methos grinned and handed her the books.

"Thanks. You kind of came at a bad time. I was going to take a bath before I made dinner. Why did you bring these? Didn't you tell Phillip I would get them tomorrow?" Aurelia set the books down on the couch, and pulled the front of the robe closer together.

"He insisted that you had to have them tonight. Therefore, I volunteered. I was in the neighborhood." Methos grinned.

"You were in the neighborhood? Sure. Thanks for stopping by." She smiled shyly, and moved to open the door.

"You mentioned you were going to have dinner. Will you join me for dinner?" Methos said and she blushed.

"I don't know. You could be a psycho that runs around chopping people's heads off." Aurelia smiled.

"I am not a psycho. You can call Phillip if you like. I am completely trustworthy." Methos said.

Aurelia looked down at her robe and turned a bright red. Methos thought she looked adorable. He was willing to bet there wasn't anything on under the robe she wore. He pushed the thought out of his mind.

"I'm not dressed for dinner." Aurelia tried to make an excuse, but it was the lamest one.

"What happened to that famous American bravery? It's just dinner." Methos challenged and she laughed.

"I guess it alive and well. Ok, I'll have dinner with you. Give me a few minutes to change." Aurelia took her hand off the doorknob, and went to the bedroom and closed the door.

Ten minutes later she appeared wearing nicely fitted jeans, loose fitting oatmeal colored sweater, and a pair of low-heeled brown boots. Her hair was now down around her shoulders, and parted down the center. She put on a little clear lip-gloss, but that was the only make-up she had wore.

Methos gazed at her for longer than he should have. Aurelia cleared her throat to get his attention. It was his turn to be embarrassed. She caught him staring.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. Shall we go?" Methos offered her his arm.

She looked at it for a second and then took it, and grabbing her coat as they left the apartment. They descended the stairs like that.

When they reached outside, Aurelia saw a man waiting with Methos's car.

The man looked surprised to see her. He smiled at her, and then turned his attention to Methos for some kind of explanation. Methos ignored him.

"I'm Duncan MacLeod." He held out a hand to her.

"Aurelia Maguire," she held out a hand to him, "Any connection to Noël and MacLeod Antiques?" She shook his hand firmly.

"Yes, that's him. Shall we go now?" Methos opened the door for her.

"Are you sure it's ok if I join you? It looks like you already had plans." Aurelia stepped back from them, and then looked to Duncan.

"I would never refuse the company of a pretty lady, please." Duncan smiled at her, and then he got in the back seat.

"Watch it with the flattery, Highlander." Methos muttered under his breath, but Aurelia managed to catch what he said.

Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of Mac's barge. Aurelia looked at the vessel, and then at Methos. She swallowed nervously.

"I don't know about this. This doesn't look like a restaurant." Aurelia said in awe.

"No, it's not. It's my house. What's the deal, Adam?" Mac said from the back seat.

"You said dinner was on you, so cook something." Methos got out of the car and then went around to the other side to open the door for Aurelia.

"Cook something? Adam, I haven't been back to Paris in months. There's no food." Mac got out of the car.

"Take the car, and go shopping. We'll just go aboard and get reacquainted." Methos tossed Mac his car keys, and then went into the car to get Mac's duffel.

"How do I know there aren't five guys in there waiting to rob me?" Aurelia hesitated.

"I told them to go home." Methos hoisted the bag in one hand, and held out his other hand to Aurelia.

She put her hand in his and they walked up the gangplank. Methos unlocked the door to the barge, and ushered her inside. The interior amazed Aurelia. The antique business must be very profitable for Duncan MacLeod. All the pieces he had in just his personal collection were amazing.

"This is incredible." She whispered in awe.

"Mere junk compared to you loveliness." Methos came up behind her, and took her coat.

She turned around and he saw the blush in her cheeks. He put the coat down on the couch, and brought his hand up to check her head. Aurelia pulled back as he tried to touch her. He looked puzzled by her withdrawal. He gently gathered her to him, and brushed the hair out of the way.

"Careful now, I just want to see if you're alright." He pulled off the band-aid, and saw that the cut was already healing, but there was a nice yellowish and purple bruise coloring her pale skin.

"I got hit with a book. Not life threatening." Aurelia whispered. It was making her very nervous to have him this close to her.

"I do apologize for that." Methos kissed the cut and drew away from her.

Aurelia sat down at one end of the couch, while Methos laid a fire in the fireplace. When he finished that, he sat relatively close to her, but far enough away from her so that she would be comfortable.

"What is it that you do, Adam?" Aurelia asked politely.

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked and reached for the hand she had in her lap. He held it in his and then brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it softly.

"Uh…yes. Well, yes, you do." She didn't look at him.

"Why? I'm not going to hurt you. I'm harmless." He put her hand down, and she put it back on her lap.

"What about you? What is it you do for a living?" He asked and gave her his full attention, and that made her even more uncomfortable.

"Oh, it's boring. You wouldn't be interested. I even get bored sometime. It's just a bunch of old stuff that very few people are actually interested in." She looked at him this time.

"Enlighten me. I happen to enjoy really, old things. In fact, some pieces that I have at home would probably blow your mind. Phillip mentioned you were an archaeologist. You don't fit the description of any archaeologist that I've met. They're usually very stodgy, stuffy, and entirely too nosy just for people that dig in dirt." Methos said and she laughed.

Aurelia played with the hem of her sweater, carefully trying to choose her words. Most female archaeologists were tagged like that. The pretty package, a friend of hers told her recently, hides a sharp mind that can accomplish anything. It was thanks to that friend that she was here in Paris.

"Well, I'm not a field excavator any more, but I still am an archaeologist. I work in curation now. That's what I'm doing here in Paris. A friend of mine knows one of the curators at the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle. She helped me get a temporary position here." Aurelia looked into the fire.

"She must be a very good friend. The position is only temporary? How long is temporary?" Methos suddenly felt panicked. Aurelia looked at him. He didn't look very happy when she said the job was only temporary.

"I'm only here for three more months. I took the place of a girl that went on maternity leave. She comes back soon. Then I move on, back to the States, I guess."

"Well, we'll make the rest of your stay a memorable one." He reached for her hand again and kissed it.

They talked for a little while before Mac showed back up with several bags of groceries. He took one look at Methos and glared at him. He dumped the bags on the counter.

"There's more in the car, old man." Mac said and made his way to the kitchen.

"I'll give you a hand." Aurelia got up from the couch and then went outside to retrieve the rest of the bags.

"I can't believe you're not helping her."

"It's the 21st century, MacLeod. She is a independent woman. She might resent my assistance, then where would I be?"

The two men watched her leave the barge. Mac ripped open the bags, spilling the contents on the counter. Methos just stood there.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Methos said with a sigh, "She's an archaeologist, you know. She likes really old things." Methos reclined against the couch and smiled broadly.

Mac just snickered and continued to put away the groceries. His friend was acting like a complete dufus. He pulled out a bag of onions.

"She likes really old dead things, Methos. There's a difference. What's your interest in her? What are going to do, show her your hieroglyphs?"

Mac turned and looked at his friend, then tossed an onion into his lap. Methos took the onion, and looked at him. He tossed the onion back to MacLeod, and then Mac tossed the onion right back to Methos.

"Oh no you don't, you're helping." Mac grinned and then took out a knife and held it out to Methos. Aurelia came back carrying two heavy bags. Methos and Mac both stepped forward and took the bags from her.

"Thanks." She said and smiled at them.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Mac asked as he unpacked the rest of the stuff.

"I'd love a beer, if you've got one." Aurelia said as she sat down on the couch.

"Oh great."

Mac said as Methos rushed over to the couch, and took her into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. When he ended his kiss, she looked very stunned. Mac cleared his throat, and then walked over to the couch and handed her a beer.

"You look like you could use this now."

"You have to marry me. We can get married in Notre Dame, anything you want." Methos brushed the hair from her face.

"Aren't you being a little dramatic? It's only a beer." Aurelia laughed nervously.

"No, I don't think so. You're smart, beautiful, and…" Methos said before Mac cut him off.

"...and completely not his type. You're too good for him, Miss Maguire." Mac handed Methos a beer before he sat down himself.

"Call me 'Aurelia'. Is he for real?" Aurelia took a sip from her beer.

Mac just laughed at her question, which in turn caused Methos to glare at Mac, indicating that he didn't want him to answer the question and make him look bad. It was too good an opportunity; Mac put down his beer and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid so. He's hopeless. His idea of manna from heaven is that very beverage." Mac smiled broadly at Methos.

"Really? That's cute." Aurelia tried not to laugh.

"I can do cute. So what do you say?" Methos leaned toward her.

"I'll think about it. I promise." Aurelia took another drink from her beer, and then her stomach growled.

"Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. You did promise dinner, Highlander." Methos turned his attention to Mac, who in turn got to his feet and headed for the kitchen area.

"Can I help?" Aurelia offered.

"Absolutely not. You're a guest. Adam here is going to give me a hand," Mac walked over to Methos and clapped his hand onto his friend's shoulder, "Aren't you, Adam?" Methos excused himself, and followed Mac back to the kitchen area.

Mac leaned up against the counter and folded his arms. Methos looked at him curiously. What was Mac waiting for?

"What?" Methos asked and dug his hands in his pockets.

"She likes beer and you ask her to marry you? Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" Mac raised an eyebrow as he regarded his friend. All Methos did was shrug his shoulders. "Sometimes I wonder if living 5000 plus years hasn't scrambled your brain. Slice this."

Mac said and handed the onion back to Methos. Methos took a knife from the counter, and began to slice the entire onion into thin slices. When he was done with that, Mac handed him a block of sharp cheddar and had him slice that also.

While the men were busying themselves with preparing dinner, Aurelia took the opportunity to look around the living room. Duncan MacLeod had a very eclectic taste in music. There were CDs from classical music to Queen's "It's a Kind of Magic".

"Do you mind if I put some music on?" She walked over to the kitchen area and asked Mac.

"Make yourself at home." Mac smiled and she went back to the CD player and put the Queen CD in. She noticed it was set on random, and the first song that came on was "Princes of the Universe". This was one of her most favorite songs on the whole album.

"You liar. You were holding out on me."

"Sue me. I love that album, it's a classic." Mac turned the stove on. Methos groaned when Aurelia returned to the couch.

By the time the CD was almost finished, Mac and Methos finished cooking. Mac laid the table, while Methos brought the food out on a covered platter. Aurelia took a place at the table, and then the men sat down.

"In honor of our beautiful, charming, and intelligent American guest. Your dinner is ready, milady."

With a flourish, Methos whipped off the platter's cover to reveal hamburgers and freshly made French fries. Aurelia took one look at that and started laughing.

"I don't know what to say. This is fantastic." Aurelia put a hand on her cheek, and shook her head.

"You're welcome. Let's eat before Adam starts to propose again." Mac placed a hamburger on her plate, as well as some fries.

"Thanks. It looks marvelous." Aurelia picked up her burger.

"How is it you heard about my little shop?" Mac inquired to which Methos groaned inwardly and that only made Mac grin.

"I was passing through Seacouver once and I saw it. I really wanted to get something, but a tight wallet kind of won out." Aurelia smiled and took a bite of her burger.

"You should have…it would have been on the house. Adam here tells me you like old things" Methos just rolled his eyes again, and let out a frustrated sigh.

The conversation at dinner was light, and Mac took every available opportunity to make fun of Methos. This made Aurelia laugh and irritated Methos to no end. Methos knew it was all in good fun, that helped lessen the embarrassment. Aurelia was thoroughly engrossed in Mac's discussion of his homeland. Methos was jealous. He wished he had something to tell her about where he came from, but he couldn't remember any of it.

"I spent some time in Greece and Mongolia." Methos interjected. Aurelia smiled and looked interested but then Mac shot him a glare.

"Hey, buddy, I'm talking here." Mac put extra emphasis on the fact that he was the one talking.

Sure, he could tell her about being one of the four Horsemen. That might really kill any chance of any further dates, but then again it might thrill her since she read those nauseating books.

The three of them sat in the living room drinking coffee after dinner. There was more discussion of where she'd been, which was only limited to New York, Ireland, and now Paris. They talked about her job, her plans, and other trivial things.

Mac looked at Methos at one point during the conversation. Methos was chomping at the bit…the man looked more than ready to get out of there. He wanted to have some alone time with his new 'discovery'. Mac could understand that need…she was charming.

"I hate to be such a party killer, but I think the jet lag is starting to catch up with me." Mac let out an exaggerated yawn.

"Yes, you are looking quite rundown, MacLeod." Methos got up from the couch, and held out a hand for her to help her up.

"I had a great time." Aurelia walked over to Duncan, and kissed him on the cheek. He in return hugged her back.

Mac looked over her shoulder, and could see Methos seething. He had received her first kiss, even if it were only a peck on the cheek, and not Methos. Mac tried his best not to laugh. Methos grabbed her coat and his own, and helped her into it when Mac let her go. Methos and Aurelia were walking out the door, when Mac asked Methos to wait a minute.

"Ah boy-talk… I'll just wait at the car." Aurelia smiled and then went outside to disembark.

Mac waited until he heard her walking down the gangplank. Methos stood there with his hands in his pockets. Mac let out a laugh.

"She's probably not going to even want to go out with me now, thanks MacLeod." Methos said to his friend.

"Don't be crazy, man." Mac sat down on the arm of the couch and grinned at Methos. It was very maddening when he did that.

"It's not crazy. Did you see how enthralled she was by your storytelling? What am I going to have to offer or even compete with that? You also have the antique thing that piqued her interest." Methos walked to the door, and stopped when Mac started laughing at him.

"Did you even see the way she was looking at you? I think she likes you, old man. You were the one that got her to come to dinner, and that was even before she met me. Just be your normal charming and arrogant self. Now, I would drive her home before she freezes out there." Mac got up from his seat, slapped his friend on the back, and sent him on his way.

When Methos got to the deck, he saw Aurelia standing in the chilly night air with the light from the street lamps glinting off her hair. She heard his footsteps as he came down the gangplank. She smiled as he approached, her smile mostly hidden beneath the collar of her coat."Cold?" He asked as he took her hand.

"Yes, a little. I'm fine though. It's a beautiful night." Her voice muffled.

"Let's get you warmed up. I don't want you to catch cold." He held her hand as they climb the stairs to where he parked his car.

Methos said very little most of the way back to her apartment, and even less as they climbed the steps to her door. Something was bothering him. She guessed that he was a little jealous of the attention she gave to Mac's story. When they got to her door, he just stood to the side with his hands in his coat pockets.

"Are you ok?" Aurelia asked.

"Fine. Have a goodnight." He said and moved away from her.unlocked her door, and turned around to see Methos descending the stairs in a sulk. She went to the railing and leaned on it.

"Adam?" He stopped.

"Yes?" He looked up at her from a flight down.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?" Aurelia smiled shyly down at him. He looked like he'd just had a ton of bricks drop on him.

"Do you want me to?" He asked quietly.

"I think I would." She responded with a little half smile.

Methos took the stairs two at a time to get to her. Aurelia felt nervousness, and excitement stirring in her belly. She almost laughed aloud when he reached her out of breath.

"I'm not anything like MacLeod." Methos said as he took her in his arms and looked down at her.

"If I had wanted Duncan to kiss me, I'm sure he would have been happy to, but I didn't." She said as he framed her face with his hands.

He didn't kiss her at first, but he just stared into her eyes. It made her want to laugh aloud from the nervousness. Aurelia looked down at the floor just as he was about to kiss her, and then Methos raised her chin.

"What's the matter?" He whispered as he kissed her cheeks.

"I'm…it…the way you're staring at me…I'm not used to it." Aurelia stammered, managed to look back at him, and then tried to look down once more.

"I'd get used to it, if I were you. I'm not going anywhere, darling." Methos laid a small kiss on her lips, then another before he really kissed her.

Aurelia was very overwhelmed by the sensation that coursed through her. So many emotions besieged her. She held him onto for support and get lost in his kiss. Methos pulled back to look at her to see her eyes closed, a rosy blush staining her cheeks, and lips swollen from his kisses.

He could have jumped out of his own skin from the amount of satisfaction he felt after kissing her. It was like finally finding his way home after being lost for so long. His spirit felt light, but in the blink of an eye, an ache filled his chest, and he let go of her.

Aurelia opened her eyes to look into his stricken face. Aurelia felt ashamed, and moved back from him hurriedly. She tried to move into her apartment, but he stopped her at the last second. She didn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.

"This was a mistake, I'm sorry." She muttered, but his grasp was firm on her arm.

"Don't ever think that. Never think that. I just don't…there are things to be said, things that need to be said, but not now. Let's enjoy this new beginning and let the rest take care of itself." He wiped the tears that began to fall down her cheeks.

"Ok." She sniffed and hugged him.

They stood like that for a while, before he released her. Methos kissed her softly, and then opened her apartment door for her. He let go of her hand as she went through the door.

"Dream of me." He whispered and caught that little half smile before she shut the door.

Aurelia closed the door and leaned against it. She felt her heart beating madly inside her chest. This was crazy. She's known him for less than a whole day, and she was falling for him.

Methos stood there at her apartment door, resting forehead against the door. He heard her retreating footsteps, and then heard the bedroom door shutting. He exhaled slowly as the painful memories of Alexa flooded back.

Why did he pull back ? Why did this feel like a betrayal? He had loved Alexa, and honored her memory. She died eight years ago, why did he still the pain of her loss everyday?

When he first held Aurelia's hand, he felt a bloom of happiness begin to seep into the empty recesses of his heart. He felt life slowly warm his soul. So why was it when he kissed her, his memories of his time with Alexa surface?

Methos didn't bury them; he more or less just put them away in his heart. It was what he did, how he moved on through the endless parade of time. There was no sense in living in the past, and it served no purpose, he had to live for the future.

The next morning Aurelia opened her door to find a large vase of at lease three-dozen roses waiting for her. They were the lavender Sterling-rose without thorns. She didn't need to read the card to know it was from Adam, but it gave her a thrill to see that it was from him.

"Here's to our blossoming new beginning, Adam." The note read.

Aurelia carried the large vase inside, and selected a single rose to bring with her to work. She felt so exhilarated that she walked to work. She arrived at work at her usual time of 9 AM.

Her boss, Dr. Hélène Du Bois, met her at the security check-in. Hélène had a very large grin on her face. The smile reminded her of the Cheshire cat.

"Bonjour, Aurelia. Had a nice evening, did you?" Hélène indicated the rose in Aurelia's fingers.

"Yes. I did. You wouldn't believe what happened to me at the American bookstore yesterday." Aurelia showed her id to the guard, and went past the check-in desk.

"Oh no, mon amie. I think I would." The older woman smiled to herself as they walked to the lab. Hélène was hiding something.

Aurelia didn't see what it was until she arrived in the lab. She was shocked to see another large vase of two-dozen white roses sitting there. There was another vase of lavender roses as well.

"Lavender for enchantment, ma chere, and white for innocence and purity. 'A little token to express my sincere apology for the injury I caused you, Adam'. Injury?" Hélène read the card nestled from the bouquet.

"It's not serious. A couple of books fell off a shelf, and hit me on the head. See," She brushed aside her bangs to show her the bruise, "Not serious. He's…he's such a goof." Aurelia remarked as she bent over to smell the flowers.

"He is a goof that knows how to apologize. Allors! I almost forgot. We've been asked to create an exhibit on the Dr. Morrel's excavation outside of the city." Hélène drew a rose from the vase, and brought it to her nose to smell its fragrance.

Aurelia sighed. Dr. Girard Morrel was a young professor at local university. Her boss introduced him when she first arrived in Paris. He was nice enough, but he was just a little too shy and mild-mannered for her.

"What does that mean for me?" Aurelia asked. She knew Hélène was going to want her to go out to the site, and pick up the materials herself.

"It is a small exhibit for the gala in a few weeks. He's expecting you this afternoon around 4 PM. He shuts down the site at 3 PM. You can have an early day before you go out there." She said to Aurelia.

"I can't believe you said I would be the one to go. You, Dr. Dubois, are an incurable romantic." Aurelia smiled and put her purse down in her desk drawer, before she turned her computer on.

"Of course, this is Paris after all, my friend." Hélène said as she went off to her own office on the floor above.

Aurelia stared at the flowers for a few minutes. They were so lovely. He spent an awful lot of money bunch of them. She now had a whole 5-dozen rose between the three vases.

She couldn't afford to take any more time to adore her flowers. There was a lot for her to do that day. She needed to concentrate. She had work that would have to wait as she worked on the new exhibit, and had to get some of it out of the way.

Later that day Across town, Methos sat in his living room with a book. He'd been trying to read for the last hour, but couldn't concentrate. He'd already been for a walk twice that day, and it hadn't helped.

Methos put down his book, and went to the refrigerator. No beer. 'Damned rotten luck.' Methos went to the closet, got his jacket, and then picked up his keys from the table by the door. He opened the door to see Aurelia. She held a festively wrapped box in her hands.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hi." He said back. They stood there looking at one another. Aurelia looked down on the ground, and then offered the package out to him.

"I wanted to say thank you for the flowers." Aurelia said as he took the box from him. He opened it right there in front of her. It was a case of Heineken.

"I thought this would be better than flowers." Methos looked at her, and then back down at the beers. He held it against his chest. He didn't know what to say. Aurelia shrugged her shoulders a little, and put her hands in her pockets.

"Ok, um...thank you for the flowers. I'll see you around sometime." Aurelia said and went down the steps.

Methos just stood there and let her walk away. 'You're a complete fool, Methos.' He thought to himself. His feet wouldn't move.

"Aurelia?" He called to her.

"Yes?" She reached the bottom step, and turned around to look up at him.

"Thank you." He said, and saw her smile and she continued on her way. Methos went back inside, and put the beers in the refrigerator. He let her walk away, so he must be an idiot. He shut the door with a slam. No, he wasn't going to do this. He was going after her.

Methos went out his front door, and got in his car. She couldn't have gotten far. He saw her a few blocks away, waiting at a bus stop. He wondered where she was going. Methos pulled up to the curb, and got out of the car.

"Hey gorgeous...can I give you a lift home?" He smiled.

"I would love a lift, but I'm not going home right now. An errand for work, but thank you." Aurelia smiled back at him.

"Come on, I'll take you wherever you need to go." He offered.

"It's kind of far. I have to go outside the city to pick up some items for an exhibit." She said.

"If it's far away, the more time I will have to spend with you. Get in." He unlocked the passenger door.

"Are you sure?" She put a hand on the door handle.

"Very sure." He said and got back into the car.

Methos navigated the car back into the city traffic. Once they got out of the city centre, it took about 35 minutes to get to Girard's excavation. Methos pulled the car to a stop next to the Girard's ancient Land Rover.

Aurelia got out of the car, and Girard spotted her immediately. He had been talking with one of his crew chiefs, but excused himself and headed over to her. Girard stopped short when he saw Methos get out of the driver's seat. His smiled dimmed slightly, but he focused on Aurelia and tried not to notice Methos.

"Ah Aurelia, I'm glad you could make it." He kissed both her cheeks.

"Hello Girard." Aurelia said when he moved back.

"Who is your friend?" Girard looked at Methos. The look he gave him said that he was only being nice because Aurelia was there.

"I'm Adam. Adam Pierson." Methos put out a hand in friendship; Girard looked at it dubiously, but accepted it.

"Have you known Aurelia long? I don't believe she's ever mentioned you." Girard said, and his grip on Methos's hand tightened.

"Not very long, but I am going to remedy that." Methos tightened his grip too.

Aurelia was witnessing a pissing contest in front of her own eyes.

The two men were actually trying to intimidate one another, thinking it would somehow impress her. Aurelia groaned, put a hand on Methos's arm.

"Dr. Du Bois mentioned that you have some items to use for the gala exhibit?" Aurelia said, drawing Girard's attention from Methos.

"Yes. Follow me please." Girard led the way to the field lab.

There were some Roman coins, part of a broken crockery jug from contemporary times, and some assorted items from different layers of time. It was only going to be small standing cases, but Girard was lucky to have his project selected. The Gala would hopefully provide some needed money to continue his project for another couple of seasons.

Methos's gaze skimmed over the materials on the table that had cleaned. None of it impressed him, but then again it wouldn't, he'd seen it all before. As he looked at the stuff on the tables, he hadn't noticed Girard maneuvered Aurelia away.

He was out of earshot, and couldn't hear what the other man was saying to her. There was only one way to remedy that, so Methos walked right up to them and slipped an arm around Aurelia's waist. The Frenchman wasn't happy about that at all.

"Well, thank you, Girard for the tour. I'll give you a call in few days with some preliminary ideas for the cases." Aurelia moved away from Methos and Girard and headed back to the car.

Methos took the boxes from her, and put them in the trunk of the car. He took his time arranging them, listened in on what Girard was saying to her. The professor took her aside to ask her to attend that gala with him. It was set in two weeks on a Saturday night, and he hoped Aurelia would allow him to escort her there.

"Dr. Morrel, you're doing here some fascinating work. Oh, darling, I forgot to tell you, they rescheduled my trip. I will be able to go to your party after all." Methos said as he approached the passenger side of the car and opened the door for Aurelia.

"Well…uh. Ok." Aurelia looked at him with a confused look on her face.

"I hate to tear her away, Dr. Morrel, but it's a long drive back to Paris, and I promised her dinner. You know how cranky women get when they're hungry." Methos held out his hand to say goodbye to Girard. This time, he hesitated longer before he took it.

"Thank you for bringing her out, Mr. Pierson. I'll see you another time, Aurelia." He kissed her cheek, and then walked away.

Stunned, Aurelia got in the car, and tried to figure out what just happened. Adam definitely did his best to warn off Girard. Aurelia was beginning to wonder seriously about Adam's sanity. Methos got in the car, and leaned toward her and planted a kiss on her lips.

"What just happened?" Aurelia asked he started the car, and pulled away from the site.

"What do you mean, my love?" He navigated the car back onto the road, and joined in the traffic.

"Don't 'what do you mean, my love' me. What were you trying to prove out there? Girard is a nice man, I like nice men," Aurelia quit looking at him, and concentrated on the scenery, "What was with the whole macho man routine?"

"He was falling all over you, Aurelia. It was nauseating. I had to do something." Methos looked to her, he tried to look apologetic, but she just rolled her eyes.

They reached the museum, and Aurelia went inside to deliver the box to her boss. Methos waited in the car for her. When she appeared outside, she looked at him, and then walked right past the car. Methos put the car in park, and walked quickly to catch up to her.

"Aurelia…wait. Please." Methos pleaded.

"When you decide to become an adult, then you can call me." Aurelia continued to walk on. Methos stopped and stared at her retreating figure. She actually told him to get lost. He had plenty of charm, sincere eyes, and a boyish smile that never seemed to fail him until now.

When Methos reached his home, he felt another immortal. With his sword ready, he quietly climbed his front steps, and saw the open door. The intruder would regret breaking into his house, especially with the mood he was in right now. His luck turned even worse, Mac and Joe Dawson sat in the living room. They also drank his beer.

"Hey Methos! Good to see you, buddy." Joe saluted him with the beer.

"You weren't here, so we decided to let ourselves in." Mac took a swig from his drink.

With a frustrated groan, Methos put away his sword, marched right to the two men, and ripped the beers out of their hands.

"Hey. What gives? I wasn't finished." Joe said.

"We're guests, Methos. Haven't you ever heard of hospitality?" Mac said.

Methos scowled darkly and then downed the rest of the beers. He set the empty bottles down on the nearby table, and sank onto the couch.

"I have heard of the practice, Highlander. However, one may treat uninvited intruders as they see fit. What do you want?" Methos raked his hands through his short hair, and then down his face.

"Let me guess…Aurelia has put the proverbial brakes on your pursuit?" Mac asked and that made Methos groan.

"Aurelia? Phillip Terrell's little friend?" Joe looked surprised.

"Why, Joe? Are you going to tell me she's not my type too? Don't bother." Methos leaned back and stared at the ceiling. He let out a defeated sigh, and then closed his eyes.

"You know her, Joe?" Mac asked.

"No. I've never met the girl. Phillip phoned me the other day. He said that our friend here was in hot pursuit of some little American girl. I had to see it." Joe lit up a cigarette.

"Please, tell me you didn't come all this way to make a spectacle of my love life." Methos looked at Joe.

Joe took a long drag on his cigarette, and chuckled. He didn't come all this way to check up on Methos's love life or lack there of. He'd come to tell him that the Council had finally decided to not assign Methos a Watcher. The oldest Immortal knew their methods, knew how they operated, so any point in watching him would prove fruitless in the end.

"I didn't, but it sure makes the trip worthwhile." He smiled at the other man.

"You wanted us to meet in Paris, Joe. What's up?" Mac asked.

"Yes. How long do I have to put up with you?" Methos got up from the couch and grabbed another beer from the fridge.

"Funny, Methos. Boy, he is grouchy, Mac. Actually, I'm here on official business. I have some good news for Mr. Personality. You're not getting a Watcher. Also," Joe said before Mac interrupted.

"How come he doesn't get a Watcher?" Mac looked put out.

"He doesn't get a Watcher because he knows everyone that would be good enough to watch him. They are willing to let me keep tabs on him. Not an official Watcher, but you're still be watched in a way." Joe put his cigarette down in one of the empty beer bottles and looked at Methos.

"That's not exactly the good news I was hoping for, but I supposed for now it will have to do. Don't look so glum, MacLeod. We can't all be me." Methos smirked at Mac, and the other man rolled his eyes.

"So, what did Aurelia do? Did she tell you to get lost or something?" Mac asked, and Methos groaned.

"Or something is right. She said that when I decided to become an adult, then I could call her. Why are you two reprobates laughing? I fail to see the humor in the remark." Methos said as both the Watcher and the Highlander laughed at him.

It did happen to be a very funny thing to have the oldest known living person told he needed to grow up. It was even more hilarious that a woman told him to grow up. Mac and Joe managed to stop laughing after a few minutes, but started up again when they managed to look at Methos. Methos pointed his sword at the two men.

"Don't you think you're being a little overdramatic, Methos?" Mac said and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.

"No. I don't think so." Methos said, and then dropped it.

"Oh come on, Methos. You're going to let a little girl tell you where to get off? I seem to remember you have a hard time taking 'no' for an answer. You like this girl?" Joe asked.

Methos sat back down and considered the question. Did he like Aurelia? That seemed like such an inadequate way to describe what he was feeling for her.

It sounded incredibly stupid that he felt such a rush when he touched her hand. Aurelia wasn't immortal. She wasn't even a potential immortal. She was mortal. She would wither and die as Alexa did, and he would be alone. Why did he keep doing this to himself?

"Yo! Methos! Buddy, are you ok?" Joe waved a hand in front of his face."I'm sorry, Joseph. What was the question?" Methos looked a little dazed.

"Joseph? I think she definitely has her hooks in him. Should we take pity on him and help him?" Mac grinned at Joe.

"If I wanted you help, Highlander…I would have asked for it. Now be a good little boy, and walk the crippled man across a busy street." Methos went to his bedroom and slammed the door shut. The sound and comment made both Mac and Joe wince.

"I think he's being a little too sensitive." Mac got up from the couch, and looked at the bedroom door.

"He's hurting, Mac. Let's leave him alone." Joe got up, and went to the door.

Mac and Joe exited the house. They stood for a moment on the front steps. Mac buttoned his coat against the approaching evening.

"We're just going to leave him alone? You really surprise me, Joe." Mac dug into his pockets, and retrieved his car keys.

"We're going to leave him alone, Mac. What do you say about looking up my old friend Phillip, and see what can be done?" Joe hobbled down the steps and waited for Mac to follow him.

"I like that plan." Mac smiled to himself and unlocked the car so they could get in.

Aurelia sat on the floor of her apartment, and stared at the enormous vase of roses. She'd been staring at them for the half an hour. The tea she brewed sat on the floor next to her. It had gone untouched since she made it, and was now stone cold.

It puzzled her how someone so thoughtful could be so damn infantile. She picked up the mug, and sipped at the cold tea. It didn't matter anymore that it wasn't hot.

She thought about the whole debacle this afternoon and felt her anger rising. Men were all the same. They were just little boys in taller bodies. Girard and Adam fought over her in a very civilized fashion, but still it looked like two little boys fighting over the new toy.

Aurelia set down the mug of tea, and got up from the floor. There was no sense in worrying about Adam or Girard now. She would go out and treat herself to a nice dinner, and enjoy an evening in Paris to forget what happened. Perhaps she'd go by and see if she could talk to Phillip into joining her.

Mac and Joe wandered in Shakespeare and Company, the bell on the door chimed merrily when the door opened. Phillip came out of the back stacks and greeted his friend Joe with a hearty handshake. He also shook Mac's hand. He'd always wanted to meet the legendary Duncan MacLeod.

"Welcome gentleman. What is it I can do for you?" Phillip walked to the front door.

"We've got a little bit of a challenge for you, old buddy. Are you up for it?" Joe asked. Phillip could a mischievous glint in his long time friend's eyes.

"I am always up for a challenge, Dawson." Phillip moved to a nearby chair and sat.

"It's about Methos and your little friend, Aurelia." Joe wanted to feel out Phillip for some ideas on how get the two together.

"She told Methos to grow up." Mac added in as he took off his jacket.

Phillip chuckled heartily and took off his glasses. The historian turned very red in the face with laughing. He was practically gasping for air.

"Did she really? Jolly good. By George, she has fire. What did he do?" Phillip wiped his lenses before he put them back on.

"We don't know. He's in a serious funk, Phillip. You know anything?" Joe asked.

"No. I haven't seen her since the day he knocked the books on her head." Phillip told him.

"We could just ask." Mac suggested.

"Mac, he's not going to talk." Joe reminded him.

"Not him. She's walking towards the shop, ands she doesn't look happy, Joe." Mac said and the two of them hid in the back stacks.

Aurelia entered the bookstore. Phillip greeted her immediately with a hug. She wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged him back.

"What's the matter, pet?" Phillip pulled back, and saw the frustration on her face.

"All men are immature little boys. That's what's the matter, Phillip. Present company excluded."

"Is it Girard again? Honestly, one would think he would catch on that you are not interested in him." Phillip gestured for her to sit down.

"If only it were just Girard. Your friend, Adam, he's part of it too. I swear, Phillip, they were probably going to wrestle over me if I hadn't stepped in." Aurelia sat, and Phillip disappeared for a moment, and retrieved some whiskey.

He went to the front door, turned the sign over to 'Closed', and locked the door. Phillip poured a small measure for her, and then a double for himself. Aurelia downed it all in one go and choked.

"Boys will be boys." Phillip muttered, and excused himself to go to the back room to make tea.

Methos was entirely too arrogant for any human being, mortal or immortal. He passed by Mac and Joe, and put a finger to his lips to tell them to keep quiet. Phillip returned a little later to Aurelia with some tea.

He set the tray down, and she automatically went to pour. She was a sweet girl. It bothered him greatly that Methos was being such an ass.

"How long have you known Adam? Has he always been such a drama queen?" Aurelia asked Phillip, and the older man almost choked on his tea.

"I've been unfortunate to be acquainted with the man for 15 years. He has always been an odd fellow, and entirely too full of himself. I wouldn't blame you if you gave this one a miss. There is always Girard, Aurelia. He's stable, a nice chap, you could do worse." Phillip took another sip of his tea, and studied his young friend.

Aurelia sipped her tea for a few minutes as she thought about what Phillip had just said.

"Girard is a nice man. He's stable. I'm sure he'd be great to be with, but he's just a little too nice, and a little too stable if you know what I mean."

"I think I get your meaning. You're right. There are plenty of blokes out there." Phillip finished his tea and poured another cup.

Aurelia thought about what he said. This was crazy. Why did she have such an immediate reaction to Adam?

Frankly, she was tired of waiting for someone to find her. She had no problem being on her own, but in the deepest part of her…she long to be cared for. She wanted very much for him to be that one for her. There was something was different about him.

"I appreciate it, Phillip. Unfortunately, that guy is taking his time to get here. I'm tired of waiting. Maybe its better this way, that way…" She trailed off and then finished her tea, and stood. Aurelia put down her cup, and kissed Phillip on the cheek.

She picked her purse and smiled sadly at him before she unlocked the door and went into the night. Phillip sat there and watched as she passed under the street lamps until she was gone. Joe and Mac appeared from behind the back stacks with solemn looks on their faces.

"Bugger it. Joe, fetch the scotch." Phillip said and the Watcher went into the backroom to get the old bottle of single malt scotch.

Joe returned a minute later holding the bottle in his hand. Phillip took the bottle from him and uncorked the bottle. He took a swig from it, and then handed it to Mac. He took a sip too, and then passed the Joe the bottle and he took a drink.

"That was bleak for a pretty girl like her. I wonder what she was going to say." Joe took another swig of scotch.

"She doesn't want to get hurt. Still, I'd be curious to find out why she'd say something like that. She's bright, funny, and got plenty of fire. Methos would be lucky to have her." Mac took the bottle from Joe.

"Methos? What about you, Mac? Aurelia is more your type than his. He likes the sweet type, like…oh hell. Girls like Alexa. Christ, it still hurts to think about that little girl. This Aurelia doesn't seem like the type to be taken in by all his sweet talking and charm." Joe sat down in a chair.

"You're blind, man. It's all an act. Aurelia has an amazingly generous soul. If I were 50 years younger, or even 30 years younger, I would be courting her. She has a sharp mind, and I think that is what keeps her from risking her heart. I couldn't tell you anymore than that. I just don't know." Phillip sat down next to Joe.

Mac moved away from where he was standing, and shrugged back into his jacket and took one last swig out of the scotch bottle. Joe took up his cane, and then joined Mac at the door. The Watcher and the Highlander went out into the night.

They found out both Methos and Aurelia were afraid of falling in love for exactly the same reason. They didn't want to be hurt. Something had to be done to get them back together.

"So, Mac. What're we going to do?" Joe said as he walked alongside his friend.

"We're going to have to resort to some pretty nasty measures, Joe. You game?" Mac asked.

"Nasty? How nasty?" Joe wondered what his friend had going on in his mind.

"Methos obviously likes this girl. I've seen how he looks at her, and she likes him too. I can think of only one thing to get those two on the right track." Mac grinned at what he was thinking.

"Does it involve stranding them on a deserted island surrounded by mines?" Joe asked hopefully. Mac laughed heartily.

"You've been watching too much reality TV, Joe."

"Would you just get in on it?" Mac's lack of details annoyed Joe.

"Well, it is a bit underhanded. I figure that if I show interest in her, you know, take her out to dinner, the theatre... that kind of stuff…then maybe the old guy will get that fire going and get some sense in his head. I wine her and dine her, maybe I can find out what's going on in her head." Mac told Joe.

"Good plan, but you're forgetting one thing. What happens if she falls for you? On the other hand...what if you fall for her? It's going to get pretty messy if this blows up in your face." Joe stopped to light another cigarette. Mac turned around and looked at his friend.

"It's not going to happen, pal. I like her, Joe." Mac said and the two of them just walked on into the night.

"It's not going to be pretty, Mac. You don't exactly have the best record with ladies either. Look at Anne…or how about the one army lady…or what about…" Joe said, but Mac stopped him.

"How about just getting to the point, Joe?" Mac said as he dug his hands into his pockets.

"Just watch yourself is all, Mac. Let Methos take care of his own love life…I mean, look at what happened with Gina and Robert…" Joe said and heard Mac groan in frustration and then the Watcher shut up.

The days slowly crawled by and somehow two weeks faded without notice. Methos sat dejectedly in bed in his favorite blue boxers. He just sat there, and didn't move except to try to eat, and carry out bodily functions. He glanced at the clock, and the clock said that it was 1PM.

He didn't have the energy to do anything, or have the desire to do anything. Methos felt like the oldest man on the planet right now. It was tragically ironic that he was the oldest man on the planet.

Love wasn't supposed to hurt this much. All the poets wrote that it was supposed to be simmering passion, warm embraces, and hopeful plans. All he experienced was painful loss, deep regret, and lonely void in all his years.

He felt like he had danced too close to the fire, and sampled its warmth, only to have it vanish too quickly. He was going to spend his life missing that warmth, and never feel anything again. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He didn't want to see anyone.

Methos ignored it. The pounding on the door became more insistent. He still ignored it. He heard his door open and then heard uneven footsteps coming down the hall towards his room.

Methos grimaced when Joe made his way into the room. The man carried the newspaper in his free hand. Methos leaned back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling.

"Really Joe, you didn't have to come all this way to bring me the paper." Methos muttered, and then suppressed a groan when Joe sent the newspaper flying at him. It hit him square in the face.

"Huh…if you were so lucky. What's with you, Methos? I've been trying to call you for the last four days. What'd you do…unplug the phone?"

Joe hobbled over to the phone jack. He noticed Methos had done more than unplug it. The man ripped the jack out of the wall.

"This is a little much, man."

"What are you doing here? Your mission was to come here to tell me that I won't be landed with a Watcher. Mission accomplished, now go home." Methos turned onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow.

"You're really pathetic, old man. You're just sad. I dropped by to give you something," Joe tossed an envelope on the bed, "I'd think seriously about going. Aurelia's going to be there, and she's going to be stunning. Mac's got a great eye." Joe left it at that.

Methos raised his head from the pillow when he heard the front door shut. Joe said that Mac had a great eye. What in hell did he mean by that? Aurelia was going to be stunning, and Mac had a great eye…what did the one thing have to do with another?

Mac had moved in on his woman. It was low and dirty. Methos couldn't believe it. It was the last thing he expected the Highlander to do.

Methos was shocked. He couldn't believe that MacLeod had actually moved in on his woman. He'd take his head for this. Methos got off his bed, and went into the living room.

He picked up the phone, but there was no dial tone. He looked over to the wall. He had torn the phone jack out of this wall too."Great, Methos. You really are the stupidest man." Methos went back into his bedroom to throw on some clothes. His only course of action was to go over to the Highlander's barge and confront the man.

When he was finished dressing, he grabbed his sword from under his pillow. He grabbed his car keys, and headed out of the house. All the way to MacLeod's, he kept thinking about his friend kissing her, and touching her.

Much later, he would think back to this moment and wonder how he managed to drive in such a rage. Methos arrived where the boat docked, and saw Aurelia and MacLeod walking casually down the gangplank. He parked far enough to avoid being seen or sensed.

Aurelia was saying something to MacLeod and he laughed. Methos felt the flash of bitterness in his mouth. Jealousy gnawed in his gut.

All of a sudden, MacLeod surged forward and grabbed Aurelia by the waist. He swept her into his arms, and ran the rest of the way down the gangplank. They both were laughing as MacLeod carried to her the edge of the embankment.

He could see Aurelia's arms tighten around MacLeod's neck to keep from falling, as he pretended to make ready to dump her in the Seine. Methos's jealousy and anger boiled inside him. Moments like this were supposed to be his, and not MacLeod's moments.

MacLeod set her down on her feet, but kept his arms loosely around her waist. Methos could see the flush in her cheeks, and his gut tightened more. Aurelia said something to him, and then he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips before releasing her. Aurelia smiled up at him, and then walked away.

MacLeod stood there for a moment before he went back to the barge. Methos waited until Aurelia disappeared from sight. He got out of his car and hid his sword away in his coat. He walked purposefully towards the barge. He got to the gangplank when he felt MacLeod's Quickening. MacLeod didn't come out on deck.

"MacLeod!" Methos yelled as he stood on the deck. He didn't care who saw him. MacLeod still didn't appear.

"Get your ass out here, you Scottish bastard!" Methos yelled.

Mac appeared at the door and looked out at Methos. He didn't seem too concerned at the presence of the incensed immortal. He even had the nerve to grin at him.

"Methos…how's it going?" Mac lounged against the doorframe.

"I'm challenging you. Get your sword and fight me." Methos pulled out his sword.

"What crawled up your ass? I'm not going to fight you. You do remember we don't challenge in public? Why don't you come in before you do something really stupid?" Mac left the doorway and went into the living room to wait for Methos.

Methos stood there on deck fuming. He never did anything stupid…well, not really, not if you didn't count the time he and Don Salzer compiled that interactive Watcher's database. It was something that was supposed to be helpful.

He relented and went inside the barge. MacLeod was making coffee in the kitchen. Methos took a seat on the couch with an angry stare on MacLeod. Mac finished up with the coffee and then carried the tray to the living room. He tried to keep from laughing.

Methos was so serious, and very, very angry. It took a lot to get the man bent out of shape, and he was near to breaking. Mac felt sorry for his friend.

"What's the matter, Methos?" Mac poured some coffee into a cup, and placed it on the table in front of Methos.

"I shouldn't even dignify that with a response, Highlander. You know what you've done. I've seen you." Methos stared him straight in the eyes.

"What I've done? What did I do? You saw me. You saw Aurelia leaving here. Ah, now I see why you're so mad." Mac sipped his coffee and settled himself against the couch pillows.

"I am not mad. You've slighted me, and I've come to challenge you. It's that simple." Methos reached forward, took hold of the coffee cup, and breathed in the rich aroma of the coffee.

Hesitantly Methos sipped at the coffee. It was rich, and full-bodied. The drink warmed him, and he relaxed against the couch. Mac would wait a while longer before he brought up the subject of Aurelia.

"Why did you do it, MacLeod? How could you betray our friendship?" Methos looked down into the cup. His heart felt so heavy right now.

"Methos, I'm sorry if you think I've betrayed our friendship. You let her go. She fell for you, and you were the moron to let her go. We've only gone on a few dates. I think she's wonderful, and I'm going to enjoy her, like you should have. It's your own fault, Methos." Mac sipped his drink.

The words sounded harsh, but they were the truth. Mac did like Aurelia quite a bit, not in a romantic way, although it would be easy to fall into the very spirit of her. Mac's words hit Methos to his very core.

It was his own fault for letting her light leave his life. He respected MacLeod a great deal, though he would never admit it to his face, but he did value the man's judgment. Duncan MacLeod was a good man.

"You were serious about challenging me, weren't you?" Mac asked seriously.

"I was. It was a mistake. The world is far more interesting with you trying to save it, Mac." Methos put down the cup, and rose from the couch.

Mac put out his hand to Methos, and the other immortal shook it in friendship. The two embraced, and then Methos let himself out. In the ten years he'd known the man, he rarely called him 'Mac'.

The man was really out of it. He only hoped things would pull around soon, and the reluctant lovers would finally realize that they belonged together. Everything would come down to tonight and then the gala. Mac hoped Methos would really think about what he said and try to win Aurelia over.

"He better damn well try." Mac said to the room and picked up the coffee tray and cups.

Aurelia sat on the window-sill in her apartment and gazed out the window. The ringing telephone broke her train of thought. She straightened from where she sat, and crossed the room to the phone."Hello?" Aurelia spoke.

"Aurelia, darling, it's Amy. How are you, my dear?" The woman on the other end of the phone greeted her.

"I'm good. Are you here in Paris?" "Not yet, I'll probably be there tomorrow or the day after. I've had a little delay here in Rome. My little admirer is proving a little difficult to get rid of. Men are such silly fragile creatures, aren't they?" Amy laughed.

"I'll say." Aurelia muttered darkly.

"Ah…sounds like you've got your own little intrigue, love. You'll tell me positively all the details when I see you. Ciao, Bella." Amy rang off, and Aurelia put down the phone and shook her head in amazement.

Amy was something of a whirlwind. Aurelia had met her at a benefit in New York. She had been a guest of the director. Her boss at the time, Dr. James Kirkland, introduced them. Amy's interest in her was puzzling. She was nobody in the museum world. All she did was catalogue, research, analyze, and record. Amy had chatted with her as if they had been friends forever.

Aurelia found it hard to dislike her. Her new friend was vibrant, and had connections in all the right places. Her boss was a widower at the age of 55, and still quite the looker had become drawn to her immediately.

Amy flirted with him casually for a good part of the evening, and then brushed him off when he tried to become more amorous. That caused things to be a little difficult for Aurelia the next day at work. James had always been very friendly with her before, but he had become indifferent and cold in less than 24 hours.

Aurelia had been glad that her contract was up weeks after the benefit, and then she would move on. When Amy mentioned the job in Paris, she jumped at it. She had always wanted to go to Paris.

The mantle clock chimed; reminding Aurelia she had about two hours before Duncan picked her up for dinner. Duncan MacLeod was a phenomenal man. She'd been never been to his galleries, but their reputation was well known.

She was very glad when he offered to help cheer her up. It still made her a little upset when he would mention Adam. Aurelia wasn't going to think about him right now. There was a good night ahead of her, and she was determined not to spoil it.

Of course, she did think about him while she was in the shower. He seemed to have something she didn't know she wanted. Whatever it was, it was elusive, and not easily named...there was just something about him. It was his eye, she decided.

His eyes told her such a story. They spoke of so much that Aurelia couldn't find the words to describe it. She had an overwhelming need to put her arms around him when Phillip introduced them. There was his arrogance too. His arrogance was attractive to her, but she sensed he was hiding something underneath it.

This wasn't the time to be thinking about him, especially when she had a date with his friend in a little while. She got out of the shower, and got ready. When her hair was dried, she went into her bedroom to get dressed.

On her bed lay her dress of soft blue with a draped neckline, ¾ sleeves, and a length that reached just past her knees. Her shoes were black sandals that strapped around her ankles. At her throat, she would wear a choker made of black jet beads with teardrop earring to match.

An hour later, Mac knocked on the front door. Aurelia was fixing one earring when she answered the door. Mac smiled and handed her a bouquet of yellow tulips. Aurelia took them from him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be just a second, I need my other earring." Aurelia said as she went back into her bedroom.

Mac exhaled slowly as he watched her door shut. She looked incredible. Mac had to loosen his tie. Methos had better do something soon or he was going to be tempted to forget his friend being in love with this woman. She returned a minute later, and Mac fixed a smile on his lips. Aurelia smiled back, but then she just stared at him.

"Is something the matter?" Mac asked.

"You tell me. What happened to your tie?" Aurelia reached up and tightened the tie.

"Nothing's wrong. May I say how gorgeous you look tonight?" Mac leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"You may." Aurelia blushed as he moved away, and held out his hand to her. She took his hand and they walked out the front door.

Across town, Methos sat alone in his living room, and then heard the knock at the front door. It wasn't MacLeod or he would have felt him. He sighed and got to his feet to answer the door. Methos frowned when he opened the door to see Joe Dawson.

"What are you doing here, Joe?" Methos left the door open and went back to the living room.

Joe just shook his head, and walked in. He closed the door, and hobbled over to where Methos sat. The scene was exactly as he predicted. Methos sat on his couch with more than one beer on the coffee table. It was rather pathetic, but he could see the man's broken heart on his face.

"What's going on here, Methos? You're feeling sorry for yourself?" Joe lowered himself onto the small sofa.

"No, I am not feeling sorry for myself. I'm in mourning." Methos reached for a beer and took a long swig from the bottle.

"In mourning? Someone die?"

"Yes, Joe. Someone died." Methos said and took another drink. "Who died?" Joe asked.

"What is this…20 questions? My heart died, Joe. MacLeod has…" Methos didn't finish.

"Mac has what? Ooh, Mac and Aurelia...yeah, Phillip mentioned that Mac was seeing her. Tough brake, man. Still, it's your own fault." Joe took his cigarettes out of his pocket, and lit one.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I know I screwed up, ok. I'm only human, you know." Methos drained the bottle and put it on the table.

He had acted like a complete and utter moron. Methos was stupid to think that two men fighting over her would impress Aurelia. He recalled that remark he made to Mac once about chivalry being a fashionable trend that had seen its day.

The jealousy he felt left when he saw that little boy Girard fawning over her snapped his control. It colored his vision, and incited his 'infantile' behavior, Aurelia had said.

It galled him, but she was right. He felt threatened and reacted badly. Methos was jealous of all the time that Girard had spent with her. He'd only met her a couple of days ago, but he couldn't imagine not being with her. Eternal life only now seemed unbearable.

"Methos?" Joe called his name and that broke him out of his thoughts.

"I know what I'll do. I'll win her back. I acted like a school boy, and…"

"She's with Mac now, man. He's not just going to give her up because you ask him to. Hey, it's your party." Joe hoisted himself out of the chair and took hold of his cane.

"I know, Joe. I know." Methos went off into his bedroom and shut the door.

Joe took that as a sign to leave. He scratched his chin as he looked at the bedroom door. Methos was going to have his work cut out for him. Joe walked to the front door, and let himself out. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Mac's number.

Mac and Aurelia sat when as Mac's cell phone rang. Aurelia raised an eyebrow as he took it out to answer it.

"I'll be a sec, I promise." Mac smiled apologetically at her, and flipped open the phone.

"MacLeod, here."

"Mac, it's Joe. It's done." Joe said.

"It is? Good. Have there been any problems with the shipment?" Mac asked and smiled again at Aurelia as she picked up the menu to look at it.

"Shipment?" Mac, what the hell are you saying? You wanted me to get the old man on the go. I did that. I don't speak 'spy'." Joe said as he descended Methos's steps and got in his car.

"Obviously. We'll have to work on that. Look, I have to get going. My date is giving me the evil eye. I'll talk to you later." Mac hung up the phone. Mac put the phone back into his pocket, and took up his own menu.

"Problems?" Aurelia put her menu down and looked at him..

"Not really. What looks good?" Mac smiled at her over the top of the menu.

Their waiter came a few minutes later and took their orders. Aurelia ordered a chicken and mushroom dish with spring greens on the side. Mac ordered a healthy sized filet mignon with a side of new potatoes and asparagus. When their food arrived, they took turns sampling from one another's plates.

Their conversation was lively. The topics ranged from movies to sports, board games, and food. The conversation turned a little loud when they started discussing Indiana Jones. Mac was a customer of long standing, so the Maitre'd leaned and whispered quietly that they were being too loud.

"He said you're being too loud." Mac winked at her and took a sip from his coffee.

"I did no such thing, mademoiselle. Shame on you, monsieur." The maitre'd smiled at Aurelia.

"Nice try, Duncan." Aurelia smiled.

"You ready to go? How about a walk first? I need to walk off some of this food." Mac got up from the table, and held out a hand to her. She pushed her chair back and took it.

They left the restaurant and walked along the streets of Paris for a while. When they reached Pont Neuf, Mac took hold of her hand, and they continued to walk on. He would stop ever so often, and tell her little bits about the city that she was sure one wouldn't find in the tourist books.

They walked for another hour, ended up at Pont Neuf once again, and stared at the city lights. Aurelia shivered slightly and Mac took her in his arms to warm her up.

"This is nice." Aurelia said as she snuggled against him."Yes, it is. Aurelia, I need to…" Mac broke off what he was saying when he felt the presence of another immortal. "We need to get going."

Aurelia didn't question him. The look on his face said enough. Mac took hold of her hand once again and began to lead her off the bridge. His pace picked up, and she tried to keep up. Their progress halted when a man stood at the end of the bridge. Mac stopped dead in his tracks.

"Duncan? What's wrong? Who is that?" Aurelia looked up at him.

"It's no one, sweetheart. Let's try the other way." Mac turned her around and tried to lead her away.

"Wait. Tell me what's wrong." Aurelia managed to disengage her hand from his, and stopped walking.

"This isn't the time to explain, Aurelia. You have to get out of here. It isn't safe." Mac took her hand again, and started to walk away.

"It's already too late, Duncan MacLeod." The strange man spoke from behind them.

The man stood ten feet behind Aurelia with his sword ready to fight. Mac pulled Aurelia behind him. He didn't want her to see this. He hadn't told her about his immortality, the game, or Methos's immortality. Mac had to get her out of here.

"Who are you?" Mac asked as he pulled his sword out from his coat.

"You have a sword too? Where the hell did it come from?" Aurelia looked in surprise. Aurelia tried to pull her hand loose, but he held it fast.

"My name is Kevin Lomax. You don't know me, but I certainly know you. You're a legend, Highlander." Lomax raised his sword in a salute. Aurelia pulled harder at his hand, and Mac let go. Aurelia backed away slowly from him. Mac spared her a quick look, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"Mac, what is going on?" Aurelia's voice quaked.

"Right now is not a good time, sweetheart. I'll explain it later, I promise. Get out of here!" Mac said forcefully, and looked back to Lomax.

Aurelia jumped back at the forcefulness of his tone. She was too scared to move. All she could do was stand there, and watch in horror at the two men standing with swords poised.

Mac made the first move, and lunged at Lomax. His attack carried his desperation to see that Aurelia got out of there safe. He couldn't let Aurelia couldn't get hurt. She meant too much to him, and to Methos. He had to remind himself of that little fact.

"Come on, Lomax. We don't do this in public…you know that. It's not part of the rules. We also don't do this in front of an audience." Mac quickly looked back and saw that Aurelia was still there, frozen to where she stood. Each parry answered another until their positions reversed.

"It makes no difference, MacLeod. The city sleeps. Besides, it will give your woman a chance to see you one last time, and say her 'farewell'. After that, I'll see that she's taken care of properly." Lomax leered in Aurelia's direction.

"That is so not cool, you asshole." Aurelia broke from her shock.

She swung her purse at his head, and it hit its target. Lomax whipped around and belted Aurelia across the face with a vicious backhand. Aurelia had staggered backwards from the blow and fell over the side of the bridge into the river.

"Aurelia..." Mac whispered.

"She may be beautiful, but she's not very bright." Lomax laughed as he watched Aurelia fall.

"I guess it's catching." Mac had moved closer when the other man was distracted until he stood but a few feet away, and swung his sword and he took the man's head.

The quickening came over him slowly, and when it came, it was a gigantic punch. It was so forceful that it caused him to fall to his knees and double over. Mac got to his feet and swayed.

"Aurelia." He whispered again and looked over the side of the bridge.

She was beginning to drift farther down the river. She was unconscious, and mostly likely drown if he didn't get to her soon. Mac secured his sword, and jumped off the bridge. He reached her quickly, and dragged her to the embankment.

When he dragged her out of the water, he felt for her pulse. She was alive. He had to get her warm quickly. Mac quickly looked around to see where they were.

They weren't anywhere near the car. There was only one place close enough that he could go. He picked Aurelia up in his arms and hurried to his destination.

64


End file.
